1. Technical Field
This invention relates to selectable items on a writing surface. More specifically, the invention relates to selectable items or symbols, drawn by users on paper, to specify or initiate certain functions.
2. Background of the Invention
Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) provide ways for users of computers and other devices to effectively communicate with the computer. In GUIs, available applications and data sets are often represented by icons consisting of small graphical representations that can be selected by a user and moved on the screen. The selection of icons often takes the place of typing in a command using a keyboard in order to initiate a program. In general, icons are tiny on-screen symbols that simplify access to a program, command, or data file. Icons are usually activated or selected by moving a mouse-controlled cursor onto the icon and pressing a mouse button.
GUIs include graphical images on computer monitors and often consist of both icons and windows. (GUIs may also reside on the screens of televisions, kiosks, and automatic teller machines (ATMs)) A computer window is a portion of the graphical image that appears on the monitor and is dedicated to some specific purpose. Windows allow the user to treat the graphical images on the computer monitor like a desktop where various files can remain open simultaneously. The user can control the size, shape, and position of the windows.
Although the use of GUIs with icons usually simplifies a user""s interactions with a computer, GUIs are often tedious and frustrating to use. Icons must be maintained in a logical manner. It is difficult to organize windows and icons when many are similarly displayed at the same time on a single device.
In a drag-and-drop GUI, icons are selected and moved to a target icon to achieve a desired effect. For example, an icon representing a computer file stored on disk may be dragged over an icon containing an image of a printer in order to print the file, or dragged over an icon of a trash can to delete the file. A typical user""s screen contains many icons, and only a subset of them will at any one time be valid, useful targets for a selected icon. For example, it would not be useful to drag the icon representing a data file on top of an icon whose only purpose is to access an unrelated multimedia application.
With the growing use of pen-based input devicesxe2x80x94for example, Portable Digital Notepads (PDNs) that may be interfaced to devices such as computersxe2x80x94a need arises for a method and system for drawing and recognizing selectable buttons, dials, sliders, menus, and gauges on paper that may be selected by the user after the items are drawn. The items""functions are determined by a system that recognizes handwritten text, symbols, frames, and other shapes.
As one example of a PDN, the CrossPad (A.T. Cross Company) uses a specially designed digital pen and pad designed by Cross, and core technology developed by IBM, so that CrossPad users take notes in ink on a standard pad of paper (8.5xe2x80x3xc3x9711xe2x80x3 for CrossPad and 6xe2x80x3xc3x979xe2x80x3 for CrossPad XP.) The CrossWriter Digital Pen contains a radio frequency (rf) transmitter. As the user writes, the pen transmits a signal through the paper and the handwriting is captured by the digital notepad.
To access and view xe2x80x9cdigital handwriting,xe2x80x9d the user plugs the CrossPad into a PC or other device via a cable that attaches to any standard COM port and presses a button. The handwriting is transferred to the PC and appears on the screen. Currently, to create a new electronic page, a user presses another button on the CrossPad and then flips or removes the paper page.
The problem with prior-art pen-based systems is that they do not supply a convenient and very versatile means for dynamically creating or drawing on the fly selectable items or symbols, such as buttons, on a writing surface that may be selected to initiate a function. Although these devices provide hardware buttons and icons (if there is an attached display), these devices limit the number of available functions that are quickly available to a user.
An objective of this invention is an improved system and method for specifying selectable items on writing surfaces such as paper on a portable digital notebook.
This invention makes portable digital notebooks (PDNs) and other pen-based devices such as xe2x80x9cdigital white boardsxe2x80x9d more versatile, by providing a method and apparatus for dynamically generating selectable items such as buttons, dials, sliders, menus, and gauges. With this invention a user can draw, on the fly, an image or symbol on a position sensing surface and when that image or symbol is selected, a function assigned to the image is performed by the computer system. In this way, the user can quickly draw and select such symbols without the need for the PDN to have actual selectable symbols (such as hardware buttons to push) which would clutter the user interface and would not easily provide a multitude of functions.
Although the description here focuses on portable digital notebooks, other kinds of devices that rely on paper, such as electronic flipcharts (copyboard BF-060 by Kintronics), could also benefit from this invention. Other pen-input devices include white-boards and other wall surfaces that monitor handwritten input. For example, electronic white boards such as the Panasonic Panaboard KX-B730 may have a digitizing writing surface and a PC interface that permits transfer of digital information from the white board to a PC. The user can then fax, e-mail or import the information into other programs. Information can be networked or even sent via modem during a conference meeting. White boards may be mounted on walls or tables or on stands for mobile presentations.
This invention may be used on related devices as kiosks, video game displays, web browsers, white boards, personal digital assistants, smart watches, home shopping interfaces on TV, displays of financial data, etc., where there""s a limited keyboard.